welcome back, everybody. we start ed off, talking about the leaked videos of the romney campaign. today, the romney campaign, this morning they're respond iing wi this. the video, an adviser, campaign adviser says consistent with the same or similar comments made before about the stated policy of the destruction of israel being an optical to piece. that's according to the adviser. maggie, sounds like they want it all to end and now. is it going to happen? >> that part might. i don't think people will focus on. the 47% piece, which we were talking about earlier, i don't think is going to go away and certainly not from that statement. >> and certainly not today. >> cnn newsroom with carol costello joins us right now. good morning. >> hi, soledad. thank you. happening now in the "newsroom," the 47% and the fallout. mitt romney is on damage control after he says obama supporters

are victims and dependent on the government. plus this -- >> say yes to change and yes to hope and yes to all of these things, what we don't ask specific waiting to see what can be delivered. >> when obama proposed the university health care and government-run health care, we were mired in debt, unemployment was the issue. >> the hope and the change, a new hour-long documentary, come ing to tv in seven battleground states. will it change the minds of disenchanted voters? we'll talk to the film maker. unscripted and heartfelt, derrick rose and candid moment in chicago where a shoe unve unveiling turned into something so much more. >> all this stuff is going on in this city, a kid from maplewood got some positive -- >> standing up for chicago's children, getting them on the

violent streets and back into the classroom. court orders a french magazine to hand over the topless photos of kate middleton, saying it was an intimate, personal scene and should not be in a magazine. newsroom begins right now. and good morning. thank you so much for joining us. i'm carol costello. we begin with mitt romney and his late-night defense of some remarks he never wanted you to hear. they come from a hidden camera at a closed-door meeting with some big donors. romney rips nearly half of all americans, saying they're in the bag for obama because they rely on government handouts. listen. >> they are victims who bloev that government has the responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. that is entitlement and that the government should give it to them. and they will vote for this president no matter what. and the president starts off

with 48, 49 -- he starts off with with a huge number. these are people who pay no income taxes. 47% of americans pay no income tax. so our message of low taxes doesn't connect. he he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. that's what they sell every four years. and so my job is not to worry about those people. i'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. what i have to do is convince the 5% to 10% in the center -- >> last night mr. romney rushed to defend his remarks in a hastily called news conference. that number, 47%, he says, is accurate. we'll check his math. in just a moment. but romney may have a harder time defending this comment. >> you probably know the governor of michigan was headative car company. but he was born in mexico. had he been born of mexican parents, i'd have a better shot at winning this.

i say that jokingly, but -- >> to reiterate, romney said that comment was a joke. joining us on the phone from costa mesa, california. good morning, jim, will romney have more to say about this today? >> reporter: i guess we'll have to wait and see about that, carol. we just don't know at this point if he will hold any additional news conferences. last night, the brief news conference they had here in costa mesa was hastily arranged. it was announced to reporters at almost the last minute. reporters were given 15 to 20 minutes to get to this news conference. then we saw mitt romney come into a room and basically explain what he had to say during that fund-raiser. and he basically acknowledged that what he had to say could have been put a little bit better. and here is how he explained that at the news conference. >> you know, it's not elegantly stated. let me put it that way.

i'm speaking off the cuff in response to a question. i'm sure i could state it more clearly and in a more effective way than i did in a setting like that. and so i'll -- i'm sure i'll point that out as time goes on. we don't even have to question, given the snippet there, nor the full response. i hope the person who has the video would put out the full material. >> reporter: now romney basically said that during the news conference that what he said in that hidden camera video is essentially what he has said before. so he did not really offer any apologies for what he said at that fund-raiser in that hidden camera video. but he did say at that point, carol, that he could have stated things a bit more elegantly, as he put it. he did not get any questions because of the nature of the news conference. they only took three questions. he did not answer any questions about what was said at that other fund-raiser when he talked about -- or could have been the

same fund-raiser. we're still trying to sort that out. what might have been, had he been -- he said in that original hidden camera video that his political prospects might have been better were he latino. he wasn't really asked about that. i know you played that video. a new mother jones hidden camera video came out overnight showing mitt romney throwing cold water on the idea of a two-state solution in israel and in the middle east between the israelis and palestinians. i did have a chance to e-mail very quickly a romney adviser, who e-mailed me back and said those comments were also consistent, his adviser put it, with what mitt romney has said befo before. although i was with mitt romney in israel over the summer in july and he did say at that point that he did bloev in a two-state solution. if you look at that mother jones video, he does voice some major concerns about the possibility for a two-state solution. saying one thing at these

fund-raisers that he's not saying -- or slightly different from what he's saying at public events. >> jim acosta, following the romney campaign. 47% of americans relying on the government, crass and possibly true -- or not. it's time for us to crunch some numbers and check the facts for you. alison kosik is live at the new york stock exchange to do that for us. >> hi, carol. first of all, romney, believe it or not, is right. 46.4% of americans don't pay federal income taxes at all. that's according to the tax policy center. who are these people? mostly low and lower middle income earners and about half don't pay income taxes because they don't make enough money. the other half, they don't pay taxes because they can take advantage of enough tax credits, to bring their tax liability down to nothing. that group mainly consists of senior citizens and lower income

families. it's just the way the tax code is designed. romney is also accurate for using a wide umbrella to include any checks that comes from the government. i'm talking about medicaid, food stamps, social security, medicare and unemployment benefits. by that measure, almost half the country lives in a household that received government benefits in 2010. carol, that amounts to more than 148 million americans. >> but when you say that 47% of americans don't pay income taxes, it makes it sound like those -- none of those people pay any taxes, and that's not true. >> right. and that's not true. they're working, they pay payroll taxes. so they do pay that. but they don't pay any income taxes. when april rolls around and you pay your income taxes, they don't pay any income taxes. this is becoming great fodder for the campaign, carol. it really highlights different

philosophy philosophies. the right believes these programs increase the number of people who depend on the government. and that creates a population that feels entitlement. then the left saying these programs, they're the cornerstone of the social safety net. but there's no question that these numbers have been rising. almost 47 million americans are on food stamp. that number hit a record high in june. government spending on food stamps has more than doubled in the past four years. clearly that's because of the great recession. but fiscal conservatives, carol, say this kind of spend iing is t sustainable. when you add in the fact that 47% of americans are not paying any income taxes, the math is obvious. so what they say is that they need to bring in more money -- >> alison, that 47% of americans who pay payroll taxes, that means they have jobs, right? you pay payroll taxes if you have a job. >> exactly. >> mitt romney also said they were dependent on government. is that true? >> yes, because they don't make enough money. because you qualify -- if they don't make enough money, they

qualify. >> they qualify for exemptions, right? >> for exemptions and those entitlement programs. and for those entitlement programs. >> right. >> including food stamps. >> right, exactly. but that doesn't mean all of those people are collecting or getting food stamps, right? >> right. not just food stamps. i'm talking about all the other entitlement programs i listed. >> alison kosik at the new york stock exchange. court victory for the british royal family. a judge has ordered the french magazine who first published photos of a topless kate have been ordered to hand them over and also slapped with a fine. max, any reaction from them this morning? >> reporter: in the last half hour, i have had a reaction. palace source, they always believed the law was broken and they were entitled to their privacy.

certainly it is the first round to them, really. there's a criminal investigation they're interested in against the editor of the magazine and the photographer. and that's being investigated now by prosecutors. not a full investigation, but a preliminary investigation. and in terms of the civil action, they wanted an injunction against the magazine from republiclishing those pictures but also reselling them elsewhere. they've effectively closed it down. they won that injunction. you can't then have these pictures going around the world. the italian magazine, for example, that has published them got them from the french magazine. the french magazine is the sour source. and you won't see any more of these pictures appearing in public legally. and that's a great triumph for the palace. you can clearly see that the couple, least -- show you some images that came into us in the last hour. the couple arrived there on the shoulders of warriors, local warriors and they were full of smiles. and involved in a traditional dance. the couple both danced.

katherine, i've never seen dance before in public. and william certainly not. you can probably see why when you see william dance. katherine is a bit of a better dancer. they're in great form. they would have heard this news. it would have given them a great sense of cheer. the last few days, carol, have been miserable for them. >> i can't even imagine. so, max, what happens if the photos are republished? >> they have to take all the existing pictures off line as well. there was a paper that published them. minister of ireland responsible, say i saying he will bring back privacy laws and actually the board of the newspaper is considering whether or not to close the newspaper down. the palace action on this has been profound. and it has work ed really

effectively. and there is, in many countries -- not all countries, but many countries, a public reaction to this as well. and a sense that perhaps if this is my sister, my mother, my daughter, i wouldn't wanted to have that happen to them as well. quite correctly they've taken legal action in one country but are hoping that other countries will use their best judgment and not publish these. chicago bull star derrick rose gets emotional. rose is worried about chicago's children as the city's public school strike goes on. we'll talk about it. [ female announcer ] you can make macaroni & cheese

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it's the reason why we don't have customers. we have members. american express. welcome in. 16 minutes past the hour. more lawsuits are expected to be filed against the archdiocese of philadelphia over alleged sexual abuse by priests just yesterday. archdiocese place d a priest on administrative leave for the second time, as it investigating new allegations against him. he had been cleared in an earlier investigation. in mexico, authorities are searching for 132 prisoners this morning. the inmates escaped from a medium-security facility through

a tunnel about five miles from eagle pass, texas, and 150 miles from san antonio. roads leading to the united states have been blocked off. space shuttle "endeavour's" final flight has been delayed again because of the weather. it's now expected to hitch a ride on top of a 747 tomorrow. it will make its way from florida's ken day space center to the science center t will make several stops along the way. derrick rose knows pain. rose's rehabbing this offseason after tearing an acl in the playoffs. it wasn't strenuous workouts that made him teary eyed last week, but thoughts about children in his native chicago. check out rose at the rollout of his new adidas shoe.

>> it is -- it is truly a blessing where all this stuff is going on in this city, a kid from englewood got some positive. that makes me feel so good. >> rose tells espn he has been praying for the chicago school strike to end. so, with a tentative deal in place, why are students still not in the classroom today? covering the strike in chicago,

kim la. >> reporter: tas emotional not just for the students but the teachers. no reports of any children being injured or kill ed as a result f the strike because they aren't in school. certainly it is the intent of the city to try to get these teachers back into the classroom. that's what we certainly saw with them pushing for these lawsuit lawsuits. how quickly could they be back in school? potentially tomorrow. today, this afternoon, teachers union delegation is going to meet in this building behind me. they're going to vote on whether or not they are going to lift this strike. something we saw sunday. they chose to extend the strike. it could go either way. we're starting to see in the mood of the city is parents beginning to get fed up. we were at a meeting of a small group of parents. these are parents who are trying to organize other parents to capture the anger that's brewing

out there. parents that say their children must go back into school, that they want them back in school as soon as wednesday. >> kyung l aah, thank you so much. the tapes everybody is talking about this morning. a camera captures mitt romney speaking to his wealthy donors, calling half the nation "those people." woman 1: this isn't just another election. we're voting for...

the future of our medicare and social security. man 1: i want facts. straight talk. tell me your plan... and what it means for me. woman 2: i'm tired of the negative ads and political spin. that won't help me decide. man 2: i earned my medicare and social security. and i deserve some answers. anncr: where do the candidates stand on issues that... affect seniors today and in the future? find out with the aarp voters' guide at earnedasay.org ♪ [ male announcer ] introducing a stunning work of technology. introducing the entirely new lexus es. and the first-ever es hybrid. this is the pursuit of perfection.

now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question this morning, is the romney tape a game changer? a new political catch phrase has been born. maekers versus takers and democrats love it, calling the secretly recorded romney tapes the mother jones scoop, the mother of all political gaffes. >> 47% who are with him who are dependent upon government who believe that they are victims, who believe that government has the responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing. >> but mr. romney is not backing down. he says although his comments were not elegantly stated, they

are in line with what he has been saying all along. >> do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits, or do you believe instead in a free enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams? i believe the latter will help more people get good jobs. >> many republicans are applauding romney for telling like it is and many americans feel that they've grown too dependent on government. who could forget the bitter partisan brawl overextending long-term unemployment benefits? still when you take a closer look at romney's assertion that 47% of people, quote, pay no income taxes and are, quote, dependent on government, that's not quite true. more than a quarter of those people have jobs and they do pay payroll taxes. 10% are elderly, who collect social security after paying into that entitlement for years. boil it down and just about 7% pay neither payroll nor income

tax. when all is said and down we've been down this road before. we just didn't call it makers versus takers. we called it main street versus wall street or the rich against the poor. is the romney tape a game changer? facebook/carolcnn. your comments later this hour. mitt romney has been trying to reach out to latino voters. will his secretly recorded comments to a group of wealthy donors backfire on this, too? hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios

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us. i'm carol costello. just about 30 minute past the hour. the opening bell just about to ring on wall street. housing market is what investors are watching this week as existing home sales come out for august. ringing the bell today? the cia director, david petreaus. teacher union reps are scheduled to meet again this afternoon to discuss a proposed deal that could put an end to the walk out in chicago. rahm emanual has gone to court to force the teachers back to work. a judge won't look at that until tomorrow. myanmar's leader is scheduled to sit down with secretary of state hillary clinton today. her two week visit comes as myanmar, also known as burma, released prisoners on humanitarian grounds. suun kyi is also set to receive

congress' highest honor while she is here. his ppanic chamber of congrs in los angeles, that's not what everyone is talking about after that video of romney making off-the-cuff remarks and a video went viral last night. listen to what he joked about when he talked of latino voters. >> if he was born of mexico parents, i would have a better shot at winning this, but he was unfortunately born to americans living in mexico. i say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be latino. >> question is, if is he courting latino voters, yet making jokes like that, does he have a chance of winning more of them over to his side? maria cardona and republican strategist ana novaro.

so, ana, do latino voters have a sense of humor? >> latinos have a sense of humor. i've said before when he tries to be funny, a lot of times he misses the mark. he's not going to be running for comedian in chief. he's running for commander in chief. he has to show us he's qualified. frankly, carol, i don't find anything wrong with what he said. was it funny? no, not really. was it offensive? no. was it derogatory? no. he was acknowledging something that was true, his father was born in mexico under very particular circumstances. i would like for him to be a latino, toochlt i think it would be great to have a latino running. it would be great to have somebody that has sensitivities and understands. i think i need to have a conversation with mitt romney, who is coming to miami tomorrow, because if he is going to be a latino, we need to work on

rolling his rs and swinging his hip and a couple of other things he needs to learn before we take him on as one. >> so, maria -- so, maria, i don't know. what do you think? i know what she's going to say. >> i mean, it's so pathetic. here is the problem, carol. i think taken as -- taken just the words, i think ana is right, it was a very bad attempt at a really bad joke. but here is the problem. the context of it. he was with his rich friends who, after he said what he said, had a good laugh. and so i think that that is the context that a lot of people are taking offense at it. i got a lot of tweets, lot of e-mails from my mexican-american friends who were like, oh, my god. this is so offensive. i can't believe that somebody who is, quote, unquote, looking to whoo the latino voter is doing this. so, yet again, he is digging a hole for himself, which is quite

deep. there was a latino decisions poll that came out yesterday, carol, on latina support for mitt romney. there almost was none. 74% go for obama. 21% go for mitt romney. it's a little better among the lat latino men, but not much. jokes like this and the context that it was said are certainly not helpful. >> so, let's move on to -- >> carol? >> go ahead, ana. >> let me just tell you a couple of weeks ago i was on a panel and the anchor, national anchor of univision asked me, actually, that question. why didn't mitt romney embrace the fact that his father was born in mexico and claimed to be a latino? i then told jorge ramos, the univision anchor, who asked mitt romney the same question in january, during the republican primary in florida, that i thought it was a ridiculous question. the man isn't latino, doesn't claim to be latino. he doesn't feel it.

you got to be what you feel in your heart. it is a question that was brought up because of where his father was born. i don't think he was being offensive. was he funny? no. was he offensive? no. >> if he was latino, really, would it be easier for him to be elected president? >> no. >> i don't think it would be. because, again, it's not just where you're from. and it's not just your name. it's the actual policies that you represent. and, unfortunately for mitt romney, the policies that he has put forward are not policies that latino voters think are helpful to them in trying to build a better future in this country. >> okay. let's move on. >> we don't all agree on policy. if he -- yes, it would be helpful in places like nevada, florida. if he had a full understanding of latino culture, yes, it would be helpful in those swing states, colorado, florida. we're not a homogenous group. >> not with the policies he's

pushing. >> i knew if i had two like latinos on, they would argue about this one. i just want to move on and get short comments from you both on the other thing that romney said is kind of like spurring a lot of political talk this morning. he said there are 47% of people who will vote for the president, no matter what. 47% who are with him, who are dependent on the government, who believe they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them. ana, you're a strategist. mitt romney came out later. he didn't back off from these remarks. he said he has been saying similar things in the past. he just didn't elegantly state them before the donors that night. so, as a strategist, should romney continue talking about this? >> well, you know, i think romney wishes he didn't have to continue talking about this. but while the present we are continuing to talk about it, it's going to be difficult for him not to particularly, because he does have some public events coming up. and it seems that mother jones

is doing a trickle out of these videos. should he apologize? no. you know, he said it. it's his belief. i think it offers a very dramatic and stark choice. are these -- is 47% of the american population, do they feel themselves victims? no. now, are they victims of an administration and of a government that has been given them opportunity? are they victims of having a 10.2% unemployment rate? yes. when it comes to latinos. >> that's the strategist. maria, do you think this is a gaffe that will really hurt romney? people already -- they heard romney say slr things. they're not really that surprised. >> well, no. here is where i think it can hurt him, carol. he has been struggling against this notion that he is somebody that doesn't get the majority of americans and the problems that we all face day in and day out

due to this chronic recession and the recovery that we're -- the slow recovery that we're in. he hasn't been able to convince voters. this actually underscores what people already believe about him. it's interesting that he's doubling down on it instead of apologizing for something that was absolutely ainartfully said. in that 47%, he's talking about seniors who get social security. he's talking about iraq war veterans who go to the v.a. he's talking about college students who use pell grant loans. he did offend a lot of people that he's going to need to vote for him in order to win in november. and it underscores that people already believe he has a disdain for americans who are not as well off as him. and going into the election, that is not helpful. >> maria cardona, ana novnavaro

thank you. >> thank you, carol. planning to butt heads in a heated debate. we'll tell you about it. there'. and some difficult ones. but, through it all, we've persevered, supporting some of the biggest ideas in modern history. so why should our anniversary matter to you? because for 200 years, we've been helping ideas move from ambition to achievement. and the next great idea could be yours. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] every car we build must make adrenaline pump and pulses quicken. ♪ to help you not just to stay alive... but feel alive. the new c class is no exception. it's a mercedes-benz through and through.

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oh, boy. big voice news, naming usher and shakira as the new coaches for the hit reality show's fourth season. usher row places cee lo. >> if you want the big stars on your reality show, you have to work with their schedules. the producers of "the voice qus seem to be happy to give them a little time off, but they will be back. having award-winning artists as coaches mean they have to be able to tour. whether op in the red chair or on tour, our coaches have their

chairs for life. cee lo and christina say they will be back. aguilera has taken the time off to row lease a new album and also wants to go on tour. cee lo says he has an album, memoir, and other things to work on. christina is getting pretty neat credit in the article in today's "new york times," saying she is responsible for kicking off this whole run of high-profile active stars signing up to be judges on the singing competition. she was the first one, which made it acceptable for other stars to follow suit, mariah is britney also following the stars. >> let's talk about a battle of ideologies, jon stewart versus bill o'reilly. >> they get along fairly well. even jon stewart joked he's scared of this debate.

i doubt that. it will be a great battle. i think we're going to get some pretty good laughs. while they talk about the issues that we're facing, i think we'll be laughing along all the way. they're calling this the rumble in the air conditioned jungle. in this case that's at george washington university. you'll be able to stream it online for $4.95. half of that money is going to charity. the other half, according to stewart, is going to job supply stations. >> a.j., thank you. he will be back with us, including the new video game sensation that could get those angry birds even angrier. in the battle for white house, scenes from the warfront in afghanistan. an in-depth look from the candidates' policies in afghanistan.

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oil market. after yesterday's breath-taking plunge, $3 a barrel in one minute. even traders can't explain how that happened. in the meantime, aaa says the price of gas slipped for a fourth consecutive day to $3.85 per gallon for regular gas. former boyfriend of amanda knox is releasing a book today about the murder case that catapulted them to international fame. raffaele sollecito reaffirmed their innocence in the murder of knox's roommate. both have been convicted before they both won acquittal. in colorado's arapahoe basin. the first dusting of snow. it can see as much as 100 inches between september and april.

we are looking at how the candidates stand on the issues as part of our in-depth focus this week. today, we turn to afghanistan, where the biggest difference between president obama and governor romney may be on post-war plans. here is our pentagon correspondent, chris lawrence. >> reporter: 70,000 troops are still fighting in afghanistan. will election day fight them, one way or the other? we see two candidates moving closer and closer to the point where there's not much space between them. >> our goal should be to complete a successful transition to aftghan security forces by te end of 2014. >> next year afghans will take the lead for their own security. in 2014, the transition will be complete. >> reporter: there were real differences at the beginning of governor romney's campaign last summer when he criticized president obama's decision to send 30,000 more troops to

afghanistan. >> it's time for us to bring our troops home as soon as we possibly can. i also think we've learned that our troops shouldn't go off and try to fight a war of independence for another nation. >> reporter: in november he opposed any plan to bring most of the troops home before 2014. >> i stand with the commanders in this regard and have no information that suggests that pulling our troops out faster than that would do anything than put at great peril the sacrifices that have been made. this is not the time for america to cut and run. >> reporter: whoever sits in the oval office will have to decide how the u.s. hands over to the afghans. that's where we see the biggest difference. when it comes to talking with the taliban. >> we're pursue iing a negotiat peace. in coordination with the afghan government, my administration has been in direct discussions with with the taliban. >> reporter: while president obama makes a distinction between taliban and al qaeda, governor romney says he won't haggle with a group that has killed american troops.

>> we don't negotiate with terrorists. i will not negotiate with the taliban. that's something for the afghans to decide how they'll pursue their course in the future. >> reporter: there's negotiations versus no negotiation with the taliban. president obama announced an end date years in advance. governor romney opposed publicizing that date. the president ended the surge this month during the fighting season. the governor would analysts say neither man has spent much time talking about the war, but mark jacobsen says that's partly because the big strategic issues like the surge and handover have been pretty much decided. >> what we're looking at now is execution of this strategy, and that doesn't require the same sort of political capital and time from washington, d.c., that was required two years ago. >> reporter: the two men don't exactly agree on how the fighting affects the nation's finances. >> because after two wars that have cost us thousands of lives

and over a trillion dollars, it's time to do some nation building right here at home. >> of course the return of our troops cannot and must not be used as an excuse to hollow out our military through devastating defense budget cuts. >> reporter: so the biggest difference on afghanistan may be how to spend the money when the war is over. chris lawrence, cnn, washington. >> logon to cnn.com/election for a full series of reporting on major issues as we count down to the election. the ones who inspire us,

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"talkback" question this morning, is the romney tape a game changer? "sadly, no because that's the opinion of the vast majority of his supporters anyway. most of them would probably just tell you, well, the truth hurts

whether it's the truth or not." this from dan. "mitt is a politician who showed honesty in telling it the way it is rather than telling whatever lie, think hope and change he has to get elected. that's called integrity." "it's a game changer, end of game. it's not as much about the statistics as it is about the man and his behavior and beliefs. this man is not worthy of the office of president." "it isn't a game changer at all. that 47% was never going to vote republican. they don't want to lose their handouts. at least romney insulted moochers and not business owners." "i wonder if mitt is in the 47% who don't pay taxes. we don't know because he still hasn't released his taxes." "i respect romney more now and love the honesty which can't be used to describe anything coming out of the obama camp." facebook.com/carolcnn. more of your comments next hour on "newsroom."

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"monday night football" was the tale of two quarterbacks. peyton manning still learning the system with his new team, the broncos. boy, did it show in the first quarter against atlanta. the falcons picked off manning, count them, three times. manning's counterpart, matt ryan, helped the falcons convert turnovers into points. ryan threw for two scores including his 100th career td pass. falcons took a 20-0 lead and held on to beat the broncos 27-21. to baseball now. baltimore's nate mclouth gets the game against seattle off to a bang with a lead-off home run. wow! the rest of the orioles joined the slugfest with adam jones scoring four times, and three homers in two games. the o's win. and toronto blue jays' shortstop yunel escobar with meet with reporters this afternoon to talk about a

homophobic slur. the message written in spanish was depicted in eye black he wore in saturday's game against boston. at this point, we don't know the reason behind the offensive remark, but the blue jays' organization is distancing itself from it and, of course, we'll bring you escobar's remarks when he makes them later this afternoon. that's a look at sports this morning. the next hour of "cnn newsroom" begins right now. stories we're watching right now in the newsroom, mitt romney's on the defensive this morning. he's trying to set the record straight and clear up some comments he made while secretly being recorded. plus this. >> it isn't working. it's not working. >> the hole's only getting bigger. >> it's sad. >> it's almost like buyer's remorse. >> obama let me down. plus, there's a new anti-obama documentary set to air this week. it's called "hope and change," and you can watch it from your living room. it focuses on swing state voters and president obama's first

term. you'll hear from the men behind it live. and she may have lost her legs to lyme disease, but that did not stop her from winning a gold medal in swimming. victoria arlen is a proud paralympic athlete. i'll talk to her live later this hour. "newsroom" begins now. good morning and thank you so much for being with us. i'm carol costello. we begin with mitt romney and remarks he never wanted you to hear. they come from a hidden camera at a closed-door meeting with big wealthy donors. romney rips nearly half of all americans saying they're in the bag for obama because they rely on government handouts. listen. >> they are victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they're entitled to health care, to food, to housing, you name it. it's an entitlement. and think government should give

it to them. and they will vote for this president no matter what. i mean, the president starts off with 48, 49, he starts off with a huge number. these are people who pay no income tax. 47% of americans pay no income tax. so our message of low taxes doesn't connect. so he'll be out there talking about tax cuts for the rich. i mean, that's what they sell every four years. and so my job is not to worry about those people. i'll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives. what i have to do is convince the 5% to 10% in the center. >> last night romney rushed to defend his remarks in a hastily called news conference. he said that number, 47%, is accurate. we'll check his math in just a minute. but romney may have a harder time defending this comment he called a joke. >> my dad, you probably know, was the governor of michigan and was the head of a car company. but he was born in mexico. and had he been born of mexican parents, i'd have a better shot

at winning this. i mean, i say that jokingly, but it would be helpful to be latino. >> cnn national political correspondent jim acosta is traveling with the romney campaign. he joins us live by phone from costa mesa, california. jim, i understand mother jones, the website that released these secretly video videos, is going to release more. >> reporter: that's right, carol. that's what they have been saying. and overnight they did release an additional video of mitt romney at what appears to be the same fund-raiser where he made some of these comments about people being dependent on the government. he talks in this new video on the mother jones website about the two-state solution, the prospect for peace between israelis and palestinians. first let me give you a taste of this news conference that mitt romney held last night. as you said, it was hastily arranged. reporters were given 15 to 20 minutes' heads up. there were many reporters who rushed into the room in their workout clothes because they had

thought they were done for the day and gone and started to enjoy their evening. and they were rushed into this room to this news conference, and that is where mitt romney was asked by reporters, pressed a couple of times as to whether or not he defends those remarks. and he said during the news conference that basically yes. he didn't apologize or walk back his remarks. he said that these are things that he has said before. but at the very end of the news conference, he was asked whether he felt that maybe he had offended some of these 47% of americans who are going to support the president, in his words, and here's what he had to say to that. >> you know, it's not elegantly stated, let me put it that way. i'm speaking off the cuff in response to a question. and i'm sure i could state it more clearly and in a more effective way than i did in a setting like that. and so i'm sure i'll point that out as time goes on. we don't even have the question given the snippet there, nor the full response. and i hope the person who has the video would put out the full -- the full material.

>> reporter: now, i will tell you, carol, that about that video that you showed of mitt romney talking about what his political prospects might be like were he latino, he did not take any questions on that. reporters tried to ask that question as he was leaving the room. and one final interesting thing to point out, carol, the romney campaign announced late yesterday that they're going to start to allow reporters to bring video cameras into some of his fund-raisers. this is something that the campaign has resisted doing before. they've been working with the press, going back and forth trying to work out some arrangements for doing this. and now we're being told that as of today, starting today, they're going to start allowi i video cams into some of these fund-raisers. perhaps we might be able to see some of what romney has been saying behind closed doors. there seems to be this issue of whether or not he's saying certain things to people behind closed doors at these fund-raisers versus what he's saying out in public. carol?

>> but i'm guessing if he allows cameras into these fund-raisers, these remarks aren't going to be so spontaneous. >> reporter: that's possible. you know, and that does, you know, bring up this issue of what was raised in this new mother jones video because that is about israel and the prospects for peace between the israelis and palestinians. he told our wolf blitzer over the summer, i was with mitt romney in july, and so was wolf blitzer over in israel. he told wolf that he believed in a two-state solution. but if you look at this video on the mother jones website, he is very much throwing cold water on the prospects for a two-state solution. and let's listen to a little bit of that. >> and i look at the palestinians not wanting to seek peace anyway for political purposes. committed to the destruction and elimination of israel and these thorny issues, and i say there's just no way. all right. we have a potentially volatile situation but we sort of live

with it, and we kick the ball down the field and hope that ultimately, somehow, something will happen and resolve it. we don't go to war and try to resolve it imminently. >> reporter: so you hear mitt romney there raising his own concerns about this prospect for peace between the israelis and palestinians. i did have a chance to e-mail a romney adviser about all of this. it's going to sound very familiar, carol, in terms of their response. they are saying what mitt romney had to say in the video is consistent with what he said before on this issue. >> i'm sure there will be a lot more talk about that issue today. jim acosta from california. mitt romney's zpargeing rema disparaging remarks, is it true? is it false? let's check the facts. alison kosik is live with a look. >> reporter: carol, we have been crunching the numbers. first, it turns out romney is right when it comes to the numbers. 46.4% of americans, they don't pay federal income taxes. that is according to the tax policy center. so who are these people?

these are people who are mostly low and lower middle-income earners. and about half don't pay income taxes because they don't make enough money. now, the other half, they can claim enough tax deductions to bring their tax liability to nothing. but one thing to keep in mind here, these people do pay other types of taxes. they pay state and local income taxes. they pay sales and property taxes. and more than 28% of those households pay payroll taxes. that comes out of their checks. those taxes fund social security and medicare, so that means they have jobs. who's left not paying either income taxes or payroll taxes? that's the elderly and people making less than $20,000 a year. just keep in mind, carol, there's nothing sinister about this. this is how the u.s. tax code is designed. carol? >> alison kosik live from the new york stock exchange, thank you. now to manager numbers making headlines for an entirely different reason this morning. a new report predicts six out of

every ten adults in 13 states will be obese by the year 2030. another five out of every ten adults will be obese in 39 states. senior medical correspondent elizabeth cohen is here. they're just eye-popping numbers. >> they are. they're eye-popping numbers. it's hard to sit here, i must say, year after year, giving eye-popping numbers because these numbers continue to be bad. now, this study is a little bit different because it gives projections. this is by a group called trust for america's health, and projecting things is always tricky business, but they're using cdc data to look into the future. one of the things i found interesting is that the obesity epidemic is not the same from state to state. let's look at the two extremes, sort of the best state and the worst state, all right? so colorado, let's take a look at 2011 first. mississippi, high rates of obesity. 34.9% obesity rate versus colorado, 20.7%. now, by 2030, those numbers are expected to go up in both

states. so 34% becomes 66% in mississippi and 20% becomes 44% in colorado. so both states going up. but still, a pretty big difference. >> it's incredible. so i'm going to ask you the impossible question. what can be done? >> you know, all the suggestions for what can be done are the same kinds of things that we've heard before. more sidewalks so kids can walk to school. healthier school lunches. you know, all of those kinds of things. they'll be making the foods that we buy healthier. it's all the same things that we've heard before, and have happened slowly, but many say need to happen more quickly now. >> okay. so i don't hear either presidential candidate talking much about the obesity crisis in the united states. i hear one candidate's wife talking about it a lot, but that's about it. >> it is interesting because this is one of the biggest public health threats in this country is obesity. and you don't hear a lot about it, but we asked questions and looked around. and so, you know, that candidate's wife, obama's wife, has the let's move campaign, and

president obama has said that he wants to continue to change school lunches, something he's already started. we went to the romney campaign's website and saw nothing about obesity. we reached out and sent e-mails to his spokesperson saying hey, this is a big problem. what are you going to do about it if elected? we got no response from his campaign. >> elizabeth cohen, thanks so much. in chicago, we've heard from the teachers who have been on strike for more than a week. we've also heard from the city going to court to force an end to that strike, and now we're hearing from other people. who also want the kids back in school. kyung lah is covering the strike. i would imagine parents are getting pretty fed up, right? >> reporter: yeah, we've spoken to some parents, carol, who still support the union, but we also sat down with another group of parents, about a dozen of them last night gathering at a home, a very informal gathering, saying hey, look, enough is enough.

sure, the city is now going to court, yes, the union is looking at this contract line by line, but what these parents say is being lost is that they and their children are the ones paying the price. here's what one parent told us. >> parents need to get out there and have their voices heard. we need to get the children back in school. bottom line, it's as simple as that. and if parents sit on the sidelines, the pressure's off, and there's no sense of urgency anymore. we're going to just keep delaying this. we have got to turn up the heat, and parents have got to speak up. and we have to end the strike and get the students back in school. >> reporter: so could this strike end? well, we should know sometime this afternoon. at about 3:00 local time, the union delegates are going to meet in this building behind me. there are about 800 of them. and they have spent the last two days looking over this contract, talking to their members, and they're going to vote on whether

or not to end the strike. they don't actually vote on the agreement, but they're going to vote on whether or not to end the strike. so we should have some answer in about four, five hours, carol, on whether or not this strike in the nation's third largest school district affecting 350,000 schoolchildren will continue. >> okay. we'll check back. kyung lah reporting live from chicago. remember the controversial supreme court decision on citizens united? yeah, do you. that's the one that allows corporations to donate unlimited amounts to political campaigns. well, the guys behind that have made a film about president obama. we're going to talk to them. hey! did you know that honey nut cheerios has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy. ♪ lord, you got no reason ♪ you got no right

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it is 15 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories now. the romney campaign on the defensive this morning over the release of secretly recorded tape of mr. romney speaking to big-money donors at a fund-raiser a few months ago. romney saying his controversial remarks about nearly half of americans were not elegantly stated and that he wants to help all americans. veteran soap opera actor john ingle famous for his 19-year run as edward quartermaine on "general hospital" died at home in los angeles. his last date on the soap opera was just last tuesday. he was 84. turns out president obama's jobs record isn't the worst since the great depression. in fact, president bush faced a

bigger gap eight years ago. doing the math, private sector payrolls cut 1.6 billion jobs during bush's first term while obama's added 415,000. of course, it's the unemployment rate that cannot be ignored. in 2004, it was 5.4%. today it is 8.1%. less than 50 days to go to the election, and the president of citizens united, the group responsible for that landmark supreme court decision that allowed corporations to donate to campaigns, is back with a new hour-long documentary on president obama. >> as time went on, you know, i started to see the bailouts finished. and then i saw unemployment rising and rising. >> i think he is in over his head. >> i don't think he was well prepared for these problems. >> i don't think that i got what i was expecting.

>> the film premiered at the republican national convention, but it features only democrats and independent voters. it's set to get a wider release now, running on six cable networks and some local tv stations. joining me now are the director of the film, steven bannan who, by the way, also directed the sarah palin movie, "the undefeated," and the president of citizens united, david bossy. welcome to you both. >> thanks for having us. >> thanks for being here this morning. you tried to do something similar to this in 2008 with a film about hillary clinton, and it was barred by the courts. after the citizens united supreme court decision, though, now you can put films like this on television. not many people realize this, but that -- what was really behind your fight all the way to the supreme court, right, david? >> it really was, carol. thank you for pointing that out. most people don't. and let me just say, before citizens united, in your intro, before citizens united, the supreme court case, corporations could not give to campaigns.

and since citizens united, corporations cannot give to campaigns. corporations can give to new organizations that are these outside groups but not directly to campaigns. i think it's important that people understand the difference, so i appreciate that. but our case was about making movies and their ads. and that's really what it comes down to. michael moore, i love to say this, had the right to make "fahrenheit 9/11" in 2002. we didn't about hillary clinton. we felt it was a violation of our rights. >> that movie was made during the primary, and that was the difference between the two documentaries. >> they were both during the elections cycle. michael moore's film came out during the summer of 2004 right before the conventions, right in the height. and by the way, michael moore wants to enter the marketplace, and so do i, at the time the american people care about these issues and care about these electi elections. so it's not hard to imagine that people on the left and on the right want to participate in the

conversation through film, and that's really what this film is about, the hope and change is the first time since our supreme court case we're able to have a film. and this film is going to be tonight 7:00 eastern on hd net movies, and we're really proud of that fact. >> and david, who's in the movie? >> what we did is steve and i spent about a year going across the country in battleground states. and so there are no republicans in the film, no members of the tea party, no conservatives whatsoever. these people are all 100% democrats and independents. every one of them voted for barack obama in 2008. and they naturally wanted to support him then, and they wanted to support him during his presidency. and after four years, these people tell their story of disappointment. this film is truly more in sorrow than in anger. they want him to succeed. he just didn't in their mind. >> and, of course, that's a way to get those people who are undecided in the selection to vote for governor romney, right?

that's really the point. >> carol, i think really is that a year ago when we started thinking about this, we kind of figured what was going to be the most important aspects of the final days, the final 90 days of the election. and we figured that david axelrod would have to solve for that part of the equation. but these are folks that really voted for president obama. and so we wanted to go out, and that's why we hired democratic strategists and pollsters to really run these focus groups. and we wanted to see people either leaning towards voting for president obama or not voting towards president obama. >> so let's talk about the people in your film because you want these people, of course, to vote for governor romney. governor romney -- >> well, no. >> just let me ask you this question. >> i'm sorry, go ahead. >> so governor romney is secretly recorded at this -- at this donor event in front of wealthy donors. and you know what he said by now. i think everybody knows.

he said there are 47% of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. all right, there are 47% of the people who are with him who are dependent upon government who believe that they are victims who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. he's -- isn't he talking about some of the people who are in your film? >> no, i don't think so. i don't think so at all. >> really? >> first of all -- >> you don't think those people -- >> these people in our film -- >> you don't think those people, i mean, some of them don't pay income tax because they don't make enough money? >> i think what mitt romney is trying to say is that it's better to grow the pie. it's better to create good jobs. it's better to create opportunities for people, entrepreneurs, small businessmen and women across america to be able to grow the tax base as opposed to having more and more and more people live off a smaller group of people who are paying taxes. that's fundamentally a

conservative principle and quite frankly a smart economic principle that president obama doesn't realize. and that's why our economy continues to tank. so all i'm saying is, i don't know what mitt romney said every single word. it doesn't matter. the principle behind what he said is, more people are drinking the water than carrying the water. >> how could you say it doesn't matter? he's calling half the country victims. >> no, what he's doing is -- >> who live on the government dole. he has to be president to all americans, doesn't he? >> of course he does. what he's doing is he's pointing out the fact that barack obama has more people on welfare, more people on food stamps, more people in the unemployment lines than if his policies were put into place. and that's, i think, clearly what he was saying. >> but people he is talking about are people who have jobs and pay payroll taxes and other kinds of taxes. it's not like they're doing nothing. they're working really hard for very little money, and they get tax breaks just like the wealthiest americans have tax

breaks. >> and what mitt romney's trying to do is create policies if he becomes president, and i'm not his spokesman by any stretch of the word. i'm a i guy shooting from the hip here. i think that he wants to create policies, if he becomes president, that allows more people to cross over into the 53%. because if we can grow that pie, if we can have those people earn more, be able to get better jobs, better educations, to be able to earn more, then they're going to be able to participate as the 53%. i go back to, it's more people drinking the water than carrying the water. and at a certain point, you can't continue that. >> carol -- >> and stephen, just a last word, the people in your film, since supposedly you supervised this or interviewed some of them, if they listen to those remarks by mitt romney, how would they feel? >> carol, i think the people in the film, you know, are working-class democrats, middle-class democrats and independents who lean democratic. these are hardworking americans.

i didn't find the entire year that we took to make this film that they're looking for more government entitlements or more ways to be dependent upon the government. i mean, these are hardworking people who, quite frankly, really supported the president trying to bring the country together and trying to focus on the economy. and i think when you hear in their own voice that the country's more divided and that the economy is worse and that the jobs are not being created, i think the power that comes through in their voice is they think he has not lived up to the expectations they had for him. so i'm not familiar, really, with governor romney's remarks. this film's not a pro-romney film. this film is very much -- >> we don't talk about him at all. >> this is a film very much in the voice of working men and women in this country. >> come on. come on. come on. >> this is not -- >> come on. >> carol, we really wanted to make a film and have people really explain -- and i think one of the powers of the film, both liberals and conservatives have seen it, is that away from the political class of both parties and away from the media class, the pro wrestling that

takes place every day on cable and talk radio, you really hear the agony, angst and trepidation that the middle class and the working-class people in this country have with this financial crisis we're in. >> okay. thanks to both of you for being with us this morning. stephen bannan and david baasie, thanks so much. dramatic video out of libya shows a group of men apparently trying to rescue u.s. ambassador chris stevens. we'll show you. wo tickets to paradise! pack your bags, we'll leave tonight. uhh, it's next month, actually... eddie continues singing: to tickets to... paradiiiiiise! no four. remember? whoooa whooaa whooo! you know ronny, folks who save hundreds of dollars by switching to geico sure are happy. and how happy are they jimmy? happier than eddie money running a travel agency. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. i was talking to my best friend. i told her i wasn't feeling like myself...

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now is your chance to talk back on one of the big stories of the day. the question for you this morning, is the romney tape a game changer? a new political catchphrase has been born. makers versus takers, and democrats love it. calling the secretly recorded romney tapes the mother jones scoop the mother of all political gaffes. >> there are 47% who are with him, who are dependent on government, that believe they are victims, who believe that government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe they're entitled to health care, to food, to housing. >> but governor romney is not backing down. he says although his comments were not elegantly stated, they're in line with what he's

been saying all along. >> do you believe in a government-centered society that provides more and more benefits, or do you believe instead in a free enterprise society where people are able to pursue their dreams? i believe the latter will help more people get good jobs. >> many republicans are applauding romney for telling it like it is. and let's face it, many americans feel americans have grown too dependent on government. a near record 46.4 million people are now on food stamps. and who can forget the bitter partisan brawl over extending long-term unemployment benefits? still when you take a closer look at romney's assertion that 47% of people, quote, pay no income taxes and are dependent on government, it's not quite true. more than a quarter of those people have jobs, and they pay payroll taxes. 10% are elderly who collect social security after paying into that entitlement. boil it down, and just about 7% pay neither payroll nor income

tax. when all is said and done, though, haven't we been down this road before? we just didn't call it makers versus takers. we called it main street versus wall street or the rich against the poor. the talkback question for you this morning, is the romney tape a game changer? facebook.com/carolcnn. facebook.com/carolcnn. your comments later this hour. it is the speech that everyone is talking about this morning. we'll talk more about that after this. ♪ ♪ [ male announcer ] its lightweight construction makes it nimble... ♪ its road gripping performance makes it a cadillac. introducing the all-new cadillac xts. available with advanced haldex all-wheel drive. [ engine revving ] it's bringing the future

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34 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories now. mitt romney not apologizing for some rather blunt statements he made at a fund-raiser. he was caught on hidden camera saying that 47% of americans would vote for president obama

because they didn't have to pay any income tax and depended on government handouts. romney says his comments were, quote, not elegant, but he stands by them. apple hits another big milestone. the stock price hit an all-time high of more than $700 this morning. this is probably related to the record-breaking presales for apple's new iphone. the new smartphone went on sale online last week, and online orders sold out in less than an hour. the iphone 5 goes on sale in stores friday. some video from the attack that killed chris stevens last week. >> reporter: after breaking through, men shout they have found a body. suddenly one of them cries out, "he's alive! he's alive! " >> you can see the men carrying the ambassador out of the burning building.

stevens later died from smoke inhalation at a nearby hospital. major damage control this morning for the romney campaign after hidden video catches his comments from a private fund-raiser and goes viral. governor romney was explaining how nearly half of all americans are likely to vote for president obama because they rely on the government for support. joining me now is obama traveling press secretary, jen sockey. welcome, jen. >> good morning, carol. how are you? >> i'm good. thank you for being with us this morning. governor romney came out, he clarified, called his comments inelegant, but he's standing by them. i mean, in your mind, does he need to apologize? >> carol, i have to say, you know, i've worked for the president for 5 1/2 years. he ran to represent the entire country. even when people don't agree with him, he wakes up every day wanting to solve the challenges of everybody in this country. mitt romney wrote off nearly 50% of people in this country before he's even sworn into office. this is something that i think is shocking and really alarming

to people who want to bring this country together and are scratching their heads about what he said. >> well, i will say the fact remains there are more people on food stamps now than ever before. i mean, does romney, you know, as inelegantly, as he put it, does he have a point? a lot of people would say he does. >> look, i think the people mitt romney was talking about, let me shine a little light on this. he's talking about military veterans who fight overseas and are supporting their families and come back. he's talking about seniors who have worked hard for 50 years and deserve the place they're in. he's talking about students who are working two jobs. these are the people he's talking about when he makes remarks like that. >> but i think, jen, his underlying issue is that, that there are too many people dependent on the government these days. and when you look at the numbers for people on food stamps, it sort of bears it out in a lot of voters' minds. >> well, look. i think, you know, that's an issue where you look at president obama's plan for lifting up the middle class, for

making sure they have tax incentives for making sure kids who don't have a chance can go to college, for making sure people have access to affordable health care. those are helping people who need help the most. the president, you know, he believes in the hard work and the entrepreneurship of the american people. but he also believes that we need to start from a point where we believe we're fighting for all people and not writing off 50% of this country, which is exactly what mitt romney was doing in his remarks. >> well, on the subject of the president's plan to get the economy moving, it isn't working as fast as he would like. still unemployment is 8.1%. the jobs situation is certainly not where it should be. do you think those thoughtful voters that mr. romney mentioned in that hidden video will respond to the governor's comments? >> look, i think any american out there, any middle-class american who's looking at the choice they're facing in november is looking at the president who is saying, i want to extend your tax cuts. i want to make sure you have

access to affordable health care. i want to make sure that if you can stay in your home, we're going to help get you the assistance to do that. mitt romney -- >> for many people, those efforts are agonizingly slow, at least, you know, when it comes to real life. >> oh -- >> i just want to ask you a last question before i have to let you go. remember back when president obama made the comment about clinging to guns and religion? and he made it in sort of the same kind of setting that governor romney made his statements? i mean, sometimes politicians say things that don't come out the right way. >> well, look. what the president said then really lays out the fundamental difference between them. he was talking about how sometimes people in this country are frustrated, and we need to pull together and address these problems together. mitt romney was saying something entirely different. he was saying, i'm not worried about 50% of this country. so that really highlights the fundamental difference between the two of them. >> i don't think he was exactly saying that. he was saying they probably would not vote for him because they supported president obama's policies. so he had to concentrate more on

the thin slice of undecided voters that are out there. isn't that what he was really saying? >> well, carol, you can't start off the first day you're inaugurated and say, i'm not worried about those people. they're victims. they depend on the government. so i'm not worried about them. i'm going to govern for the rest. and so that's why i think these remarks really highlight and are so shocking to people as they see them today. >> jen psaki, thank you for being with us this morning. >> thank you, carol. it's musical red chairs. on nbc's "the voice." we'll tell you who's coming and who's going.

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it's a case of musical chairs for nbc's hit show "the voice." "showbiz tonight's" a.j. hammer joins me now on who's in and who's out. >> well, we have christina aguilera and cee lo green taking a break. the producers know they don't have a choice but to let the stars take a break if they want big stars on board. here's what mark burnett is saying. having award-winning artists as coaches means they need to be able to tour, whether in the red chair or on tour, our coaches have their chairs for life. and christina and cee lo say

they'll be back in those chairs. it's also hard to believe usher and shakira will be available for more than a season. aguilera is taking the time to go out on tour. cee lo has a laundry list including two albums. he has a las vegas residency and a comedy and a memoir to work on. carol, i do know he loves working on "the voice." and the exposure has been great for his career. the one-season highity us mahia makes sense. >> understandable. it's move over angry birds and hello bad piggies? >> certainly you've heard of it. the game has been downloaded more than 1 billion, that's billion with a "b," more than a billion times. if you are among the few unfamiliar with the game, the angry birds attack pigs in the game, and now the maker of the game, rovio, have announced

their newest game is putting the pigs front and center. and i, for one, say it's about time. this game is called bad piggies. it lets users create some kind of flying contraption. you get to use wooden boxes and balloons, propellers, umbrellas, all sorts of things so you can fly the pigs through a maze. what could be more fun than that? given the track record, i assume this will be huge. get ready to download it on september 27th. >> yes, get ready for more mindless fun. the kind i like. a.j. hammer, thank you so much. >> you got it. a.j. on "showbiz tonight," 11:00 eastern on "hln." l you ned is the smooth, creamy taste of werther's original caramel to remind you that you're someone very special. ♪ werther's original caramels.

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47 minutes past the hour. checking our top stories. the romney campaign is rushing to defend comments made behind the closed doors of a fund-raiser. in one remark, romney rips nearly half of all americans saying they're in the bag for obama because they rely on government handouts. romney says he could have phrased the argument better but says the 47% figure is accurate. a french court has dropped the hammer on a magazine that published topless photos of britain's duchess of cambridge. "closer" is ordered to hand over the original photos to the royal family and pay about $2,060. the magazine faces daily fines if it waits. and we have new pictures of the space shuttle "endeavour" which is about to begin its final journey. it will leave kennedy space

center tomorrow flying on top of a 747. it will make various stops on the way to the california science center. and there it will be placed on permanent display. we talked with swimmer victoria arlen after she set records at the paralympics. now she's back home after winning gold. she joins us to tell us what that feels like.

if you live with someone who snores, don't ignore it, even if you'd really like to. that's because it could be a warning sign for major health issues. here's today's "daily dose." >> couples are now sleeping apart. about 25% of the time. and the major cause is likely

related to snoring and restlessness. and this is a shocking fact. about 50% of people snore in our culture. and it turns out snoring is not that nnts. that's one of the things to note. snoring has some recent evidence that suggests that it increases the chances that your carotid artery, just by the vibration, most likely, will build up plaque causing a higher incidence of trostroke or t.i.a. if your spouse had problems with a health issue in the daytime, you would pay attention to it and drive them to the specialist to take care of it or their doctor to take care of it. the same thing happens at night. snoring or restlessness can easily be attributed to a condition that's treatable. [ male announcer ] if you stash tissues like a squirrel stashes nuts, you may be muddling through allergies. try zyrtec® liquid gels.

nothing starts working faster than zyrtec® at relieving your allergy symptoms for 24 hours. zyrtec®. love the air. we're not in london, are we? no. why? apparently my debit card is. what? i know. don't worry, we have cancelled your old card. great. thank you. in addition to us monitoring your accounts for unusual activity, you could also set up free account alerts. okay. [ female announcer ] at wells fargo we're working around the clock to help protect your money and financial information. here's your temporary card. welcome back. how was london? [ female announcer ] wells fargo. together we'll go far. and the candidate's speech is in pieces all over the district. the writer's desktop and the coordinator's phone are working on a joke with local color. the secure cloud just received a revised intro from the strategist's tablet. and while i make my way into the venue, the candidate will be rehearsing off of his phone. [ candidate ] and thanks to every young face i see out there. [ woman ] his phone is one of his biggest supporters.

[ female announcer ] with cisco at the center... working together has never worked so well. have more fiber than other leading brands. they're the better way to enjoy your fiber. when the summer olympics came to a close last month, london welcomed other world-class athletes for elite competition, the paralympic games had many wonderful stories, but one we followed closely is that of new hampshire teenager victoria arlen. arlen was not expected to

survive a battle with lyme disease, and she even spent two years in a coma, but she came out of that determined to live life to the fullest, and that has certainly shown in her work in the pool, now culminating in a gold medal. victoria joins us this morning. >> hi. >> oh, congratulations! we talked with you before you left for london. so tell us what it was like there and what it was like to bite down on a gold medal. >> it was amazing. it was definitely a surreal feeling that i will never forget. and i was really shocked when i touched and saw that i was first. so it was amazing. i loved every moment of it. >> tell us about your competitors. you've lost the use of your legs. did everyone have the same disability in the swimming competition? >> no. there was a vast range of disabilities and abilities in the classification that i was in. and there was a few that weren't using their legs, and some people had arms that didn't w k work.

it was completely different. but it was great. i loved it. >> i can tell. you didn't start training for this so long ago. what is your secret? >> i just love it and, you know, i'm really determined, with all that i've gone through the past six years, you know, i've us just been really determined, so i was determined to go after it. i was hungry for it. >> i'm sure you watched the blade runner, so to speak, in the olympics. what went through your mind when you saw him running around the track? >> it was great. i mean, i loved watching him. he's an incredible runner and stuff. you're just in awe when you see all the athletes here because they're so fast and so amazing. >> so just tell us the secret to your great attitude, and you've overcome so much hardship. and you have such a positive outlook on life. what is your secret? >> i just -- you know, because i came so close to losing my life, i feel like i've been given a

second chance. it was transverse myelitis. when you come to close to losing everything and you're given a second chance, every day is a gift for me. and every opportunity is a gift. and i just love life. i'm so blessed and so thankful to be here that, you know, there's really nothing that can faze me now, especially with all that i've gone through, that everything is just incredible and amazing. it's a blessing. >> i'm going to call you every day from now on, victoria. victoria. >> okay. >> victoria arlen, congratulations and thank you so much for sharing this morning. >> thank you. thank you for having me. >> thank you. you're welcome. your responses to our "talkback" question next. sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy.

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"talkback" question, is the romney tape a game changer? this from sally. "i have been on both sides of that 47% who are dependent on government.